The Playground

Songwriting doesn’t have to be done balancing pen, paper, guitar and coffee cup on your lap. In fact, most modern pop music is constructed on the computer from the get-go. Gordon Harvey outlines this process […]

• Written by Gordon Harvey on Feb 7, 2018
• create, gordon harvey, music, music education, piano, simply music, songwriting, the playground

Will Henshall is a successful songwriter, producer, multi-instrumentalist, entrepreneur, researcher and infectious personality. He’s also the developer of Focus@Will, a program that uses specially-designed music to improve focus and productivity. In this wide-ranging chat, Neil […]

• Written by Neil Moore on Jan 17, 2018
• focus, interview, music, neil moore, piano, productivity, science, simply music, the playground, will henshall

Recently I read an article by music educator and prolific blogger Ethan Hein called The Happiest Chord Progression Ever, citing The Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back” as the example of a triumphantly happy song, […]

• Written by Gordon Harvey on Jan 10, 2018
• A Way of Listening, chord, gordon harvey, Happy Songs, music, simply music, songs, the playground

As far as we know, parents have always sung their children to sleep. It’s understood that for a young child the melodies and rhythms of simple songs add to the already profoundly comforting experience of […]

• Written by Stephanie Iadanza on Dec 13, 2017
• Classics, improvisation, Lullabies, music, self expression, simply music, stephanie iadanza, the playground

Although music is generally considered a social activity, I also treasure the personal experience of private listening. One of my favourite times to listen is when I’m out walking. Music always takse me to another […]

• Written by Gordon Harvey on Dec 5, 2017
• coaching, earbuds, gordon harvey, headphones, listen to music, listening, music, musicians, the playground

After our Songwriting Tips from Simply Music Friends – Pt 1 post, we asked contributors to give us a more in-depth insight into their process of creating songs. You’ll find that there are as many […]

• Written by Guest Contributor on Nov 27, 2017
• gordon harvey, music, music education, musician, musicians, piano, play piano, simply music, songwriting, Sue Lopez, the playground

Image via Gavin Whitner (http://musicoomph.com) In search of the first chord Have you ever wondered when the first ever chord was played? How did it happen? Where did it happen? What is a chord? And […]

• Written by Guest Contributor on Nov 8, 2017
• chords, History, music, music education, piano, simply music, the playground

If you’re as old as I am, you might remember a now largely vanished delight: walking into a record store and being instantly struck by something fantastic being played over the speakers, or seeing a […]

• Written by Gordon Harvey on Oct 25, 2017
• daniel kielman, Discover Music, gordon harvey, music, music education, New Music, piano, simply music, streaming music, the playground

We asked Stacie Davison some questions to gain some insight into her role here at Simply Music, what lights her up musically and some facts that make her the person she is. Your full name: […]

• Written by Stephanie Iadanza on Oct 18, 2017
• interview, music, piano, simply music, Simply Music Team, Stacie Davison, stephanie iadanza, the playground

Our wide-ranging and talented community of Simply Music Teachers and associates include an array of gifted professional songwriters and composers. We asked a bunch of them to share a little about how they work. We […]

• Written by Guest Contributor on Oct 10, 2017
• eliette roslin, gordon harvey, jennifer lee, katie knipp, mark s. meritt, music, music education, piano, Scott Ferreter, simply music, songwriting, the playground, Write Music, Write Songs